Life in Prosperity and Peace
by AkaruiTenshi
Summary: Jikokisei Tayori and Uchiha Itachi were close friends...Well, a bit more than that...Will time and the Uchiha Massacre rip their relationship apart? One-shot, Ita/OC, Rated T for safety


**A/N: Hey people! I revised the story and made a few changes. Nothing major, though. I hope you enjoy the revised version of LP&P! :3  
>DISCLAIMER: Sadly, I don't own Naruto... T.T<strong>

**Life in Prosperity and Peace**

It was deep into the night in Konoha, so deep that the only light was that of the stars that blinked aimlessly at the sleeping village and that of the nearly full moon, whose glow bathed the streets in an eerie mist. The lanterns had long since extinguished, streets barren and alleyways full of sleeping men and strays. Only one light still shone in an apartment complex near the borders of a dense, foreboding forest that penetrated even beyond the thick walls of the village. A shadow was portrayed at the window it came from, a curvaceous female figure reaching up, pulling the curtains down, and walking away.

A door snapped shut and the sound of running water lethargically drowned the silence of midnight. Hanging on the doorknob was a bloody, off-white, full-face mask whose appearance resembled a panther in ruby red ink lines that stood out even against the crimson liquid that marred it. Near the mask, on the dark turquoise carpeted floor, was a black bundle with dull gray armor all lying in a heap, equally bloodstained. The only clean surface reflected the candlelight to left of the pile: an ebony headband with a polished silver plate that depicted a carving of a swirl-like leaf; the headband of Konoha.

The metal surface now also reflected the female in an ivory bathrobe bending down to pick up the discarded clothing. Damp sienna curls with blonde highlights streaking them randomly – one especially prominent in an unusually straight bang – framed a mocha skinned face with smoldering coffee eyes that were glinting tiredly, a round nose, and full lips that were neither frowning nor smiling.

Carrying the stained garment as far away from her robe as possible, she dumped it into a plastic hamper unceremoniously, long white bandages unfurling from it and crowning the garment once it landed at the bottom of the plastic box. Promising herself to wash them later, she dropped the lid and walked back to the bathroom, grabbing her mask and a black sheath on the way, ignoring the armor.

While she walked through the short hallway, her eyes grazed over the few picture frames she had hanging on the walls. The first was of a younger looking version of her with a pale skinned girl with brown tresses and hazel green eyes, smiling brightly and holding up their headbands proudly. A large building with the kanji for _'Academy'_ was behind them.

Her lips twitched, as if to mirror their happy grins, but faltered and wandered to the next few. A group of people were prominent in these, but to her only one stood out from the rest. Raven, pin straight hair tied in a loose ponytail and onyx orbs stared back at her, a small hint of joy hidden deep in their darkness. Her eyes recoiled from those and jumped to the next one, which she barely suppressed a flinch. The pale girl and the raven haired boy were there with her, each in the standard chuunin uniform, pride oozing from their body language. They didn't look older than ten. Biting her lip, she looked at the last picture in the line.

Two people in black suits and gray armor were there, masks discarded elsewhere. They were leaning against a thick oak tree; the female's eyes were nearly closed while the male had draped an arm contently round her shoulders, pulling her towards him. A ghost of a smile was on both their lips. Her cousin had taken that picture that one time she found them in their old training grounds. The hazel eyed girl had ended up on the wrong side of the spar of a lifetime once the other female had found out.

They were twelve then; he'd become the captain of the ANBU while she and her cousin had become his second in command. Their friendship ran deep, but her relationship with her captain ran deeper than that of her cousin; a close bond that had nearly been severed on a particular night two years later.

Closing her eyes, she briskly walked to her room instead, emotions in turmoil.

"I should have put those away the moment he left."

She had told herself that many times, but her heart ached at the thought of locking them away in a box and cursing them to years of dust. She sighed and grabbed the clover oil from the drawer and sat down on her bed to polish and clean her mask and her blade, pushing the thoughts of her old teammate and captain to the back of her mind. But still the memories surfaced…

* * *

><p><em>Seven year old Jikokisei Tayori drummed her fingers on her desk as her foot tapped in impatience. Her cousin, Sanfordi Erika, laughed at her. <em>

_"Calm down Tay-chan, Rodosha-sensei will be here any minute," she said._

_Tayori pouted a bit and pulled at Erika's braid. _

_"I wanna know what team I'll end up in, Rika-chan!" Tayori whined._

_"That's if we passed." _

_At that, the mocha skinned girl gave her paler counterpart a flat look. _

_"You doubt our abilities?" _

_"Nope," Erika giggled."Just teasin' ya, Tay-chan." _

_At that moment a tall man in a green chuunin vest entered the classroom with a small smile on his face. _

_"Jikokisei Tayori, Mugon Benzetsu, Sanfordi Erika, Shoka Netsui, Tengoku Akegata, and Uchiha Itachi, please report to classroom B-13 for team assignment," he announced. "As for the rest of you, better luck next year." _

_Tayori whooped and dragged Erika from her seat, the other lucky ones following them as their classmates groaned and complained about the Academy's test being unfair. Once the six children reached the assigned room, they found two jonin waiting for them there. The first to speak was the shorter one of the pair, casually adjusting his sunglasses as he spoke. _

_"I am Nagareboshi Dageki, jonin sensei of Team 1: Mugon Benzetsu, Sanfordi Erika, and Tengoku Akegata," he stated dryly. "The three I mentioned shall meet me in training ground ten tomorrow at eight AM sharp. Do _NOT_ be late."_

_And then he vanished, startling a few of the new gennin. His counterpart, a large man with a ragged scar cutting from his lips to his left ear studied the children before speaking in a low, bass voice. _

_"My name is Muchitsujo Seiki, tokubetsu jonin and sensei of Team 2: Jikokisei Tayori, Shoka Netsui, and Uchiha Itachi," he said, paused and then leaned against the blackboard. "Team 1, you are dismissed. Team 2, you stay." _

_The instructions were uttered roughly, but were gentle. Erika waved at her cousin and left, her teammates following her. Tayori nervously waved back. The vibe her new teacher gave wasn't exactly threatening, but it wasn't comforting either and it made her a bit jumpy._

_A sharp cough brought her attention to the mysterious tokujo that she would now call 'sensei'. _

_"I have an early assignment before tomorrow's test, so listen carefully, as I will not repeat myself," he proclaimed._

_All three gennin were fixated on their teacher, and a smirk tugged at the man's lips. _

_"You are to get to know your teammates before sundown; and by get to know I mean brief family history, likes, dislikes, goals, and virtues. Seems easy enough, right?" _

_They nodded silently._

_"Wrong." _

_The sudden, blunt statement made Netsui jump, Tayori flinch, and Itachi twitch. _

_"You are to treat this as an interrogation." _

_Seiki chuckled at Netsui's horrified face. _

_"Don't worry, kid, nothing extreme. Just act as if your personal information is a precious secret you must keep from your teammates. In the shinobi world, your identity and background is vital information for both allies and enemies. Allies – especially your teammates – will need to know your drawbacks, your fears, your strengths, and your weaknesses in order to work effectively and complete missions successfully. Enemies will use this information against you in every possible way, so you must learn to guard your secrets well," he lectured. "This will help you practice." _

_"So in a nutshell, we hafta find out some general stuff about each other, but make it hard for the others, right Seiki-sensei?" Tayori said._

_He nodded at her before opening the window and preparing to leap out of it. _

_"Meet me at training ground six at dawn," he ordered, and then left._

_At this the teammates studied each other, trying to find a weakness, something that would make the other crack. Netsui was the more nervous of the three, tanned hands constantly fiddling with the hem of his scarf, wide silver eyes shifting between his counterparts. Tayori immediately pegged him as the most vulnerable, but felt a bit sorry for him too. She herself was a bit nervous, as she was continuously brushing her bangs away from her eyes. In fact the only one who seemed calm and collected was Itachi. His narrow, liquid black eyes were staring down both of his partners, currently concentrated on Tayori. _

_Noticing his fixation on her, her gaze hardened as she brought up the will to keep silent and turned to Netsui instead. He quickly caved and told her all she wanted to know, speaking loud enough so the Uchiha could hear him and so he didn't have to go through the stare down again. Once he finished, he bowed, asking to be informed about the rest tomorrow and left. He was quite embarrassed of himself, but resolved to get stronger. _

_Now only Tayori and Itachi were left, neither giving the other the slightest advantage. They questioned each other cautiously for hours, but none relented. In the end, about fifteen minutes before sunset, they came to a truce and told each other about their family, their past, their present, and their hopeful future, a miniature smile on each child's face._

* * *

><p>A grin pushed its way onto her lips as she remembered her first team 'bonding', her hands automatically reaching for the cloth and oil to polish her now blood-free mask. She had become a bit closer to Itachi that day, and her protectiveness over Netsui had begun to blossom.<p>

A few days after that, she had introduced them to her cousin, and they hit if off right away. She recalled how she used to tease Erika that her teammates would get lonely with her spending all the time with Team 2 and how they slowly became inseparable. Even Seiki-sensei had softened up a bit after a while, though the man never admitted it. Suddenly, she frowned at another memory that these other recollections brought up.

* * *

><p><em>It was raining hard, the droplets crashing onto the earth like rocks falling from a rockslide. They stung like needles on the gash on her shoulder and even worse on the one on her head, but she didn't protest. Her eyes were glassed over and her surroundings blurry, but she refused to let the tears fall. Instead, she tightened her grip on Itachi's hand and grit her teeth, her muscles harshly complaining about being forced to stay upright. <em>

_The squeeze was reciprocated by the nine year old Uchiha next to her, his posture tense despite the various kunai lacerations that littered his torso and back. _

_The mission had been a catastrophe, a C-Rank turned A-Rank, almost S-Rank. They were unprepared and unknowing of the circumstances, but they were successful and the enemy had been vanquished, at a price._

_At their feet lay nine year old Netsui, body slashed from head to toe, dead by chakra exhaustion and blood loss. Next to him were Benzetsu and Akegata, both killed by poison laced kunai gashes and complete chakra exhaustion. _

_Erika had fallen to her knees next to her teammates, head bowed, shoulders shaking, and hands folded in prayer. Seiki put his hands on his gennins' heads and Dageki stood next to his remaining student, his head also bowed. _

_Thunder rumbled through the clouds as they sealed the bodies in a scroll and returned to the village, all three gennin seeking the comforts of home and each other._

* * *

><p>They had carved their names in the KIA stone a week after that, their teams merged the next day. Dageki-sensei had lost the will to teach after the murder of his other students, so he transferred Erika to Team 2 and disappeared; his name carved into the KIA monument months later.<p>

Almost a year following the incident, they took the Chuunin Exams and passed with flying colors, the three of them becoming the youngest chuunin in the village. They were given the nickname _'Konoha no San-Tensai'_ – The Three Prodigies of The Leaf. She had also been given a name by her best friend, Itachi, one she would use for years to come: _'Konoha no Taifuu'_, The Typhoon of The Leaf.

* * *

><p><em>It was the final round of the Chuunin Exams. Tayori's opponent was another Konoha chuunin hopeful by the name of Kakujitsu Jigoku, whose base affinity was typical of Konoha and a tribute to his namesake: fire. Tayori was grinning confidently, she had the upper hand, and she wouldn't fall behind her victorious teammates. <em>

_Once the proctor gave the signal to begin, both shinobi lurched forwards. Using her natural flexibility, Tayori easily dodged all of her opponent's strikes, occasionally landing a few punches here and there. _

_"You're way too slow, gaki," she taunted._

_Jigoku fell for it and lashed out with his leg angrily, only to have his foot caught by the nimble ten year old. Her grin was near feral as she channeled her lightning natured chakra to give him a good shock before she threw him upwards with impressive strength. Speeding through the hand seals before Jigoku could recover, she extended her hands to the sky and slammed them on the ground. _

_"Raiton: Inazuma Yari! _(Lightning Style: Lightning Spear)_" _

_A streak of lightning struck the rapidly falling boy and he let out a shriek before he poofed into a log. Clicking her tongue, she back flipped away from where she was seconds before Jigoku drop kicked her. _

_"Still too slow, Jigo-chan." _

_He gnashed his teeth together and began a rapid series of hand seals. Tayori was steps ahead of him and had replaced herself with a Mizu Bushin _(Water Clone)_, who was currently standing in front of the pissed off gennin, looking interested. _

_"Katon: Shomeidan! _(Fire Style: Flare)_" he yelled._

_A burst of flame shot up before the clone and it made a weak attempt to dodge it as the real Tayori snuck up behind Jigoku. _

_"Baku! _(Explode)_" _

_The clone screamed as it was burnt before exploding into steam. Jigoku's eyes widened before looking around frantically, spotting Tayori just as she finished the sequence for her next move. _

_"I hope you aren't scared of storms, Jigo-gaki!" she taunted. "Ranton: Rohiteki Taifuu! _(Storm Release: Prodigal Typhoon)_" _

_They sky darkened and rain pelted down on the stadium lightning crashed around Jigoku creating craters as the rain began swirling around him, a few droplets escaping the spinning mass and scratching his cheeks and arms, leaving thin gashes._

'He better forfeit soon, or I'm gonna run out of chakra,' _Tayori thought as she panted from the exhaustion of keeping her jutsu up._

_Jigoku made one last attempt to break through to victory. _

_"K-Katon: Moeru Sharin! _(Fire Style: Flame Wheel)_" he stuttered_

_The ring of flames was put out almost as fast as it was summoned. Jigoku's breath hitched and he fell back as the speed of the typhoon increased just a pinch, but it was enough to scare the hell out of him. _

_"I forfeit! I forfeit!" _

_The typhoon slowly vanished and Tayori stood tall, but she was trembling from exhaustion and adrenaline inside. _

_"Winner, Jikokisei Tayori!" the proctor announced._

_The crowd burst into cheers and applause as Tayori waved and returned to her teammates. Erika squealed and gave her a hug, practically squeezing the life out of her and rambling about how awesome her Rohiteki Taifuu was. Itachi gave her a one-armed squeezed with his typical half smirk, half smile planted on his face. _

_"Well done, Konoha no Taifuu." _

_Tayori blushed at the praise and practically beamed at him for the nickname._

* * *

><p>They had also become a favorite amongst the clients, even to the point where some asked for them in specific for missions. They spent two years training and completing mission after mission, Seiki-sensei's regimen driving them to their limit every day.<p>

At this time, they had each awoken powerful new skills: Itachi had a high level Sharingan, Erika had an extreme ability for sealing, and Tayori had her keen affinity to lightning, water, and their combination, storm.

It was then that they became ANBU, at age twelve. Their ANBU squad never had a name, just the masks they wore: _Washi_ (Eagle) for Erika, _Hyo_ (Panther) for her, and _Karasu_ (Raven) for Itachi.

* * *

><p><em>Tayori held the porcelain mask with the panther decorations in her hands incredulously, examining every detail of it. Erika and Itachi were doing exactly the same thing next to her, though the latter hid his surprise well. <em>

_"You are now part of the ANBU; these masks will become your identities during your service," an elderly man lectured._

_Every one of the pre-teens saluted the Sandaime before putting on their masks. _

_"Kamereon (Chameleon), take the new recruits to headquarters so that they may receive the symbol," the Hokage ordered. _

_The chameleon masked operative nodded before leaping out the window, Team 2 following him. Once they arrived at the underground headquarters, Itachi was led to a room while the girls were shown another. Inside, they were instructed to bare their shoulders: left for Itachi and right for Tayori and Erika. A spiral was tattooed into the exposed skin, marking them as members of the ANBU Black Ops for whatever remained of their lives._

* * *

><p>This change sent their lives in a whirl. The responsibilities were immense and every mission was life or death, but they somehow managed to come through every time, thus leading Itachi to become captain and the girls his second in command. Even when Itachi began acting strangely after the death of Uchiha Shisui, they remained as intimately connected as before; or, in Tayori and Itachi's case, even closer.<p>

* * *

><p><em>The last mission had been exhausting, and thirteen year old Tayori was beat. She was walking home without the usual spring in her step, too tired to care. As she looked up at the giant oak tree near her apartment, she spotted a familiar figure. <em>

_Uchiha Itachi was leaning against the massive trunk, hair loose and blowing in the evening breeze. He seemed disturbed, almost sad, and the look in his liquid black orbs was distant, his mask having been discarded near the roots of the oak. Tayori approached him cautiously, making sure he could detect her, and dropped her mask near his. _

_"What's wrong, taicho?" she asked._

_He turned to her, eyes no longer distant, but gentle and grasped her hand in his, lacing their fingers together. _

_"Itachi?"_

_He didn't answer, just kissed each of her knuckles softly. Tayori blushed, but didn't object to the affectionate touch. _

_"I'm guessing you're not gonna tell me…Figures…" she grumbled._

_He chuckled and unlatched their hands, preferring to drape and arm around her shoulders and pulling her closer to him and planting a loving kiss on her forehead, somber mood dissipating. Tayori's eyes were half lidded as she leaned against him, relishing in his caresses, a ghost of a smile on her face._

* * *

><p>Their relationship had blossomed after that, but Itachi had never told her why he had been so upset that day. She never asked, instead choosing to wait. And wait she did, for almost a year. And oh, did she regret it.<p>

* * *

><p><em>Tayori hummed contently as she browsed the midday market, coffee eyes easily picking the ripe fruits from the spoiled ones. Paying the vendor, she wandered off, arms laden with bags full of edibles. <em>

_It was the day of their anniversary, their first year as a couple, and she was preparing a nice little meal for them. She had gotten both of their favorites, along with a gift for Itachi: a simple yet beautiful chain that had three circular beads attached to it. It had called to her as she had passed the jeweler's stall, begging her to buy it and was now tucked in a small, navy box in her pocket, safe from thieves. _

_Speaking of thieves, someone had managed to snatch the bags on her right arm, all six of them. As she prepared to turn and attack the robber, a gentle peck was left on her cheek, even softer than usual. _

_"Itachi-kun! You scared me, baka!" she scolded._

_He chuckled at her mock anger and accompanied her the rest of the way, every once in a while raining kisses on her forehead, cheek or neck. She giggled happily and smiled at him, receiving a soft grin from him._

'That has to be the largest smile I've ever gotten from him!'_ Tayori thought._

_They reached her apartment near one o'clock in the evening, dropping the bags on the small dining table and storing the ingredients that would remain unused for their dinner. _

_Setting the pot with rice to a medium-high flame, Tayori began chopping up some cabbage and other vegetables for a nice salad. Itachi was leaning on the counter next to her, keeping an eye on the salted salmon cooking in a pan. _

_"You could have made some of your favorites, you know. It's not all about me," he commented._

_Tayori dumped the sliced veggies in a large bowl and began mixing them with a bit vinegar and oil. _

_"I know, but you got me addicted to the stuff," Tayori retorted. "Besides, I'm trying out a new recipe for the onigri (rice balls), so hush." _

_He shook his head, smirk never leaving his lips, and wrapped his arm round her waist as she flipped the salmon turned down the heat on the rice, the water already boiling. She leant against him and sighed, closing her eyes and relaxing._

_"You've been rather affectionate today, not that I mind," she remarked._

_He just tightened his embrace and nipped at her ear in response, earning a pout from her. _

_"You'll never tell me…" _

_"I will…Soon…" he soothed._

_Tayori just snorted and proceeded to shred the salmon and stuff it into triangular shaped balls of rice. That done, she took some softened nori (dried seaweed) and wrapped it around the onigri slowly, as to not break it. She then took out a pair of plates, glasses, and silverware. Each platter held three onigri and a healthy portion of salad, the glasses full of freshly made fruit juice. _

_They sat down at either side of the small dining table, whispered a blessing, and ate. It was a quiet meal, as neither of them spoke, both content to just be there with the other. When they finished, Tayori picked up the cutlery and gave Itachi a broad smile. _

_"Go to the fridge and look behind the eggs," she demanded. "Go on, shoo!" _

_He arched and eyebrow, but complied with her wishes as she dumped the plates in the sink, receiving a bag full of chocolate pocky as a reward. Shaking his head, Itachi laughed and gave Tayori a playful glare. _

_"Pocky?" he teased._

_She grinned widely and laughed with him as she cleaned the dishes._

'After this, I'll give him the necklace.' _Tayori decided._

_Drying her hands, she walked to the tiny living room, the smile on her face wavering when she saw Itachi with a red paper in his hands and a messenger bird flying away from the open window._

_"A mission? This late?" she asked._

_It was nearly five in the afternoon and mission office was closed now, even for the ANBU. His face darkened as he burnt the paper with a burst of chakra, making Tayori a bit nervous. _

_"What's wrong?" _

_Itachi shook his head as to clear his thoughts, and looked at her, a tinge of regret flashing through his eyes. _

_"Sorry, Tay-chan, it's very important. I have to go," he said. _

_Tayori blinked. Itachi had never called her 'Tay-chan' before; something was definitely wrong. _

_"Well then, lemme just get my armor and –" _

_"This is a solo mission, Tay-chan," he interrupted. "I'm going alone." _

_She frowned and came closer, putting a hand on his tense shoulder. _

_"But –" _

_"No buts, Tay-chan, I have to get going." _

_She sighed and looked down sadly. _

_"Be careful, Itachi-kun." _

_He knew her game; he knew she would follow him even if he said no; she was just that stubborn. So he pulled her head up by the chin and kissed her senseless, hand creeping to the back of her neck. _

_'Sorry, Tay-chan…' he mentally apologized._

_He then pinched the nerve at the nape of her neck, knocking her out, and laid her on the loveseat, a tear escaping and landing on her cheek._

_"Goodbye, Tayori…" _

_He kissed her forehead and jumped out the window, forcing himself not to look back._

_When she came to, he was already gone, just a note left on the windowsill with an enormous bouquet of Aloe, Arbutus, Canterbury Bells, pink Carnations, and Primroses. Tayori shakily unfurled the note, tears dropping as she read it._

'**Thank you, for everything. You held me together during the hardest of times, and yet I cannot repay you. I have only one favor to ask: care for him. You will understand tomorrow, Tay-chan. Everything will be clear and you can forget me, hate me if you must, but I will always love you, my wonderful, wild typhoon. Itachi.'**

_She held the note close to her heart and picked up the bouquet, immediately recognizing the crude preservation seal at the bottom of each of the stems. But the item below the bouquet was what truly made her fall to her knees, sobs racking her throat. _

_A navy box with a silver chain from which three small charms dangled, along with a platinum band with the words 'Taifuu no Kokoro', Heart of The Typhoon, carved in kanji was there. The first charm was a diamond carved to resemble a tornado with flecks of topaz and turquoise imitating rain and lightning. Second was an onyx panther with tiny eyes made of two gems: one ruby, the other smoky quartz. Last was a heart made of shards of amber, aquamarine, onyx, and garnet. _

_Tayori gently placed it around her neck, body still shaking and tears still falling._

* * *

><p>The next morning, she woke to the news of the Uchiha Massacre by the hand on one Uchiha Itachi. Only one had been spared: his younger brother, Uchiha Sasuke.<p>

_'…Care for him.'_ Tayori had quickly realized Itachi had meant that he wanted her to care for her brother. And care for him she did; she offered him a place to stay and warm meals at the end of every Academy day, she even offered to train him. The boy accepted the training, but refused the rest, as he was wary of her for her connection to his wayward elder brother. She trained him as best as she could, and eventually he softened up to her. Once he became a gennin, though, he thanked her for her troubles and told her that he would now train from his new sensei, Hatake Kakashi.

Then came the Chuunin Exams and Orochimaru's damn curse mark, lulling him deeper into the dark with the temptation of power.

Soon after that, the Konoha-Oto-Suna War that took the Sandaime and many other shinobi with it, including a good friend of Erika, Gekko Hayate.

Not much time later, Sasuke defected and Tayori buried herself in her ANBU work, only leaving for important occasions such as Erika's wedding to her three year lover, Shiranui Genma, a year after Sasuke defected. She had heard of Itachi being in Konoha or near the premises of Konoha during that time, but never managed to get there in time.

Now, two years later, she was an ANBU captain, one of the best since Itachi went nuke. She had completed many S-Rank missions, nearly breaking the record, and was currently enjoying the only free time she had in her apartment, finishing up the polishing of her sword, Arashi Ha, Storm's Edge.

Having been absorbed in her memories, she hadn't even noticed she'd switched from her mask to her blade. A weary sigh escaping her lips, she stored Arashi Ha in its sheath, picked up her mask and hung them in her closet. She turned to pick up her armor, but found it gone. Cursing herself for having let down her guard, she pulled a kunai from the weapon pouch that lay abandoned on the night table and advanced slowly through her apartment, suspicious of every shadow.

Once she reached the living room, she tensed, feeling the chilly draft from the now opened window. Scanning the room, she found nothing out of the ordinary, not even the slightest flicker of chakra. She took a tentative step forwards, but was held back by a hand covering her mouth, a single, thorn less, red and white rose held between its fingers. Tayori blinked in surprise before trying to elbow her captor, failing as her elbow was effortlessly caught. Warm breath tickled her neck before a shower of kisses rained on it, effectively rendering her defenseless as she finally recognized who caught her.

She swallowed heavily, eyes stinging, and relaxed against him. He removed his hand from her mouth and wrapped his arm around her slender waist, the appendage that caught her elbow following shortly.

"H-How?" she stuttered.

He nuzzled her neck tenderly before replying in a gentle tone.

"You cared for him well," he said.

Using her flexibility, she turned to face him, not startled in the least at seeing the Mangekyo Sharingan activated.

"Who, Sasuke?" she questioned. "I did a horrible job, he defected."

A warm chuckle was her response and he shook his head.

"I showed him everything that night, including why it happened, and well, maybe he should tell you…"

Itachi mumbled the last part and kissed her forehead.

"Wha–"

"My brother and I are more alike than you think, Tayori-sensei," a new voice proclaimed.

Tayori's head snapped to the right, where the younger of the Uchiha brothers was leaning against the wall.

"I'm guessing Erika-san didn't tell you?" he asked.

"Told me what?"

"Like Itachi-nii said, he showed me everything that night, including why the Massacre happened," Sasuke explained. "I felt ashamed to be part of a clan who was planning to overthrow the Hokage and cause a Fourth Shinobi War, so I promised aniki I'd do my best to redeem our clan and him before the village. I kept up the image of an avenger as a façade so no-one got suspicious until I found out what I could do to fulfill my promise.

The perfect opportunity came when Orochimaru gave me the curse seal, since my image forced me to crave power at any cost. After the preliminaries, I went to the Sandaime and told him the truth of everything. I told him I'd be willing to act as a double agent despite the risk, just like aniki did. At first he didn't like the idea but Erika-san happened to be on duty in the office that day and convinced him by stating that she'd personally supervise both the sealing of the curse mark and the mission, as her proficiency with seals enabled her to do so. At this, Sandaime-sama agreed, but on the terms that I was to retire if it got too dangerous."

He took a deep breath and continued.

"So I pretended to go nuts when the Sound Four came to get me and left. I didn't really defect, since there were documents proving the existence of the mission, therefore protecting me from becoming a nukenin. I contacted Itachi-nii at random intervals, informing him of my status, and he helped me every time he could.

One of the times, we were able to finish off Orochimaru and Hoshigaki Kisame, nii-san's partner in Akatsuki. It took a lot of work and quite a bit of time to do that though, so I'm surprised word hasn't spread. Yakushi Kabuto escaped before we could get him, but I doubt he can do too much harm.

I informed Erika-san of our success and of Itachi-nii's help during the mission. She took this info to Tsunade-sama and returned a few weeks later to tell us it was safe for both of us to return to Konoha. So here we are," he concluded.

Tayori twitched and mumbled something neither brother caught.

"What?" they asked simultaneously.

"I said: when I get my hands on Rika-chan, Genma's gonna find himself a widow."

Both brothers chuckled that.

"It'll be safe for us to go out tomorrow, after Tsunade-sama explains what happened to everyone. Until then, I guess I'm gonna take you up on that offer from six years ago; if it's still standing," Sasuke said.

"Guest room's last door on the right," Tayori instructed.

He smirked.

"Thanks, Tayori-nee."

Tayori blinked, confused. Sasuke just gave her a strange look, as if he were up to something, and walked to the guest room.

"Tayori-nee? Not that I mind, but why's he calling me sister?" she questioned.

Arms reclaimed their position round Tayori's waist and hot breath tickled her ear.

"That ring on the necklace is a promise ring, Tay-chan," Itachi whispered. "I know it's many years later, and that it's probably ridiculous that I ask you now, but…Jikokisei Tayori, will you marry me?"

His answer was a deep kiss and happy tears.

About two months later, Jikokisei Tayori became Uchiha Tayori in a small wedding to which only close family members and friends attended. This included Erika's baby girl, Shiranui Esmeralda, who was about two weeks old. It was a quiet ceremony, but it was perfect for them. However, the newly erupted Fourth Shinobi War put a halt to any family plans for the moment.

Four years of grueling fights later, peace was finally achieved throughout the shinobi nations thanks to the efforts of the War Heroes. Tayori had been injured during one of those fights and had to be taken back to base. Strangely, the ANBU captain wasn't allowed back on the field for the remainder of the fourth year of the War; exactly nine months.

So when Uchiha Itachi returned home from the fighting, he was greeted by the sight of his beloved Tayori feeding little Uchiha Shinko, his three day old son.

Tayori beamed up at him and gently placed the babe in his shocked father's arms. Shinko reached up and tugged on his father's bangs playfully and Itachi smiled softly. Here he was, with his infant son, and beloved wife, on a new path of life in prosperity and peace.

_**Meanings:**_

_**Jikokisei Tayori – Self-Imposed Reliance**_

_**Rodosha – Laborer **_

_**Mugon Benzetsu – Unvoiced Eloquence**_

_**Tengoku Akegata – Heaven's Daybreak**_

_**Shoka Netsui – Early Summer Zeal**_

_**Nagareboshi Dageki – Meteor Impact**_

_**Muchitsujo Seiki – Chaos Century **_

_**Kakujitsu Jigoku – Infallible inferno**_

_**Shinko – Faith**_

_**Raiton: Inazuma Yari – Lightning Style: Lightning Spear**_

_**Ranton: Rohiteki Taifuu – Storm Release: Prodigal Typhoon **_

_**Katon: Moeru Sharin – Fire Style: Flame Wheel**_

_**Aloe – Grief **_

_**Arbutus – "You're the only one I love"**_

_**Canterbury Bell – Gratitude **_

_**Pink Carnation – "I'll never forget you"**_

_**Primrose**__**– Eternal Love**_

_**Red and White Rose – United**_

_**Thorn less Rose – Love at First Sight**_

_**A/N: Aaah, much better. Hope you guys liked it! Reviews help! :3**_


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